Ron Stott, former North Syracuse mayor and NYS assemblyman, dies

David Stott, left, & his father, Ron Stott, in David's garage at his home in Salina, packing up campaign signs in 2003. Ron Stott died Saturday.

(By Gary Walts/gwalts@syracuse.com)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Ron Stott, a former Onondaga County legislator, New York State assemblyman and mayor of North Syracuse, died Saturday at age 76.

Stott, a Democrat from Cicero, was mayor from 1971 to 1974. He represented Clay, Salina and Cicero in the state Assembly for one term in 1975. He also served as a county legislator from 1986 to 1987, after winning a special election. He ran an unsuccessful race for Onondaga County executive in 1983.

His son is David Stott, who followed his father's footsteps into the Onondaga County Legislature for one term. David Stott has a photo of himself as a three year old, sitting on his father's lap in the state Assembly chambers.

"He was a family man. That's who he was," David Stott said.

David Stott said he is finding decades of political memorabilia in his father's collection. There is a 1967 Christmas card from former Sen. Bobby Kennedy. There's a photo of Stott with former Gov. Mario Cuomo.

Ron Stott with former Gov. Mario Cuomo in a newspaper clipping during Stott's term in the state Assembly from 1975 to 1976.

David posted that photo on Facebook along with a similar photo of himself with current Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Stott was a sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps and graduated from the University of Arizona. He came to Syracuse in the 1960s to work as an engineer at General Electric.

He is survived by his wife Carolyn, five children and seven grandchildren.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo with David Stott, former Onondaga County legislator.

Before his death, David Stott asked his father some questions on video to be able to share with future generations.

Ron Stott said on the video, "Spend your life in service of others and God will always bless you."